Flotation machine



July so, 1929. s. E. MEYER 1,722,705

FLOTATION MACHINE Filed April 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i If'wentor July 30, 1929. s. E. MEYER FLOTATION MAbHINE Filed April 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Inventor E Mge/vel" @We @am B y tzoniev Patented duly 3d, tgig.

STEPHEN ERNEST MEYER, F HAYDEE, ARIZONA.

ELGTATION Application filed April 20,

The present invention relates to flotation machines and has for its prime object to provide iinp-.oveinents upon the apparatus shown in Letters latent lio. 1,595,333, is sued to me on August 2 Another very niportant object of this 1nvention resides iii the improvement of the means of aeration to raise the pulp or feed through froth-forming screens.

llfitvh the above and numerous other objects in y'iew as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel details of construction, and in the coiiibination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

En the draw-ings:-

Figure 1 is side-elevation of the flotation machine embodying the features of my iiivention, l

Figure 2 is top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section therethrough,

Figure A1 is a vertical transverse section therethrough. I l Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that l provide a casing including the bottom 5. sides G, and ends 7 and 8. n partition 9 forms with the end 7 an entrance 10 for the feed or pulp. A partition 11 forms with the end 3 ian exit 12. Longitudinally extending walls lll are disposed between partitions 9 and 11 for forming the aerator spa` ye therebetween. The aerator is supported on leas 16 rising from the bottoni 5. The numeralv20 denotes the main air header which has air supply pipes rising therefrom. A closed casing 241 forms the aei'ator and has a plurality of slots 33 in the lower portion thereof. fr screen 33 extends across the upper edges of the walls 1e and the casing 2% extends through openings therein. Pipes 17 extend upwardly from the bottoni of the casing 2-llthrough the top thereof and have caps b17 closing the upper ends of these pipes 17. The pipes 25 extend up `through the bottom of the casing 2d and terminate interioily of the pipe 17 adjacent the top of the casing 2e. 'Walls 33 entend between partitions 9 and 11 in parallel spaced relation being spaced farther apart than walls 14 and being disposed above walls 14 as clearly shown in Figure 1l. These walls 33 form froth-retarders. An overflow gate 35 is mounted in guides 2 on the side walls 6 between end wall 8 and partition 11. This M ACHNE.

1927. Serial No. 185,200.

gate may be adjusted vertically to properly adjust the pulp or feed level in the machine. The numerals 38 denote the slots in the lower ends of the pipes 17. The numeral denotes the control valvein the air header. An out-let l13 is provided in the lower portion of the end wall 8 for the tailings from the machine. rllhe usual launder troughs .44: are provided on the outside of the side walls 6 and said side walls 6 are provided with openings l5 leading into the launder troughs 44.

The feed or pulp enters at 10 flowing underneath partition 9 where it comes in Vcontact with the air coming from the bottom of pipes 17. Tt is then drawn up into the aerator space between walls 14 Where it is subjected to an intense einulsitication. particles of pulp, is then forced through ports in aerator 24e. The air, rising up through the feed or pulp strikes the frothforn'iing screen 36. The downwardly projecting edges or walls 14 force the air and pulp through the screen thereby forming a froth. rThe froth is retarded by froth-retarders 33. The retarders 33 are utilized to retard the too rapid discharge of the froth. The air is cont-rolled by control valve 40 on the main air header 20. The air flows from the main air header 2O into the air supply lines 25. which are disposed in pipes 17, to a heightA above the pulp or feed level. There the air discharges into' the larger pipes 17. These pipes 17 are capped at their upper ends as is indicated at 17 so as to force the air back down around the pipes 25 and discharge into the feed through slots 38 in pipes 17. As will be readily understood, this overcomes any feed or pulp ruiming bach into air header 20. Tf the air should stop flowing due to sonie interruption in operation, the feed or pulp cannot flow back into the air header. Thegate 35 is used to keep the pulp level in the machine. rThe feed flows under partition 11and rising up flows over the top ofthe gate 35. Particular attention is directed to the novel manner in which l use the two pipes 25 and 17, one inside the other to put the air into the aerator. Due to eircess lime in some pulp, it is hard to keep a pipe blowing directly into the pulp open. This apparatus eliminates this trouble to a great eirtent and is very practical and efficient in actual operation. Y

Tt is thought that the construction, utility7 T he air, Y with The air rises inside these lines 25 loo and the advantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof. The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail merely by Way of example since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention andthe above description. It will be apparent that changes yin the details ot construct-ion, and in the combination and arrangement of parts ina-y be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new is l. In a flotation machine of the class de*Y scribed, a casing having an entrance and an exit for material, aerating means in the cas ing, said aerating means comprising` an elongated hollow structure disposed vertically in the casing and having a pipe extending through the top thereoir and the upper end of the pipe being closed, an air header, a second pipel extending through the bottin of the hollow structure into the iirst pipe, said second pipe connected with said air header, said hollow structure having' openings in the bottom portion of its side w lls,

a screen supported horizontally on and exterioriyoi the aerating means, and retarders depending i'i'oin the side edges of the screen kone to each side of the aerating means tor forming compartments.

2. ln a flotation machine of the class described, a casing having an entrance and an exit for material, aerating means in the casing, said aerating means comprising an elongated hollow structure disposed vertically in the casing and having a pipe extending through the top thereof and the upper end of the pip-o being closed, an air header, a second pipe extending through the bottom of the hoiiow structure into the first pipe, said second pipe connected with said air header, said hollow structure having openings in the bottom portion of its side walls, a screen supported horizontally on and exteriorly of the aerating means, retarders depending from the side edges of the screen one to each side of the aerating means 'tor forming coinpartments, and other retarders extending longitudinally of the casing vabove the aerating means one to each side thereof in parallelism with the irst mentioned i'etarders and spaced 'farther apart than the first inentioned ietarders.

ln testimon whereoi' I airiix in signature.

STEPHEN EnNEsT MEYER. 

